Power take-off mounting



Feb. 25, 1941.

E. ALEXANDER POWER TAKE-OFF MOUNTING Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 19, 1940 I VENTOR fmmeff L. fl/exa/mvr ATTORNEY Feb. 25, 1941. v E ALEXANDER 2,232,992

POWER TAKE- OFF MOUNTING Filed April 19,- 1940 2 Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTQR o 3?: 33 38 5 -/& Emma fL/l/exanae/r ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics 2 POWER. TAKE-OFF MOUNTING Emmett L. Alexander, .Enid, Okla assignor to The George E. Failing Supply Company, Enid, Okla., a corporation of Oklahoma Application April 19, 1940, Serial No. 330,537

' 9 Claims. (01. 18053) lengthwise movement of the power take-oil; and

to provide a power take-ofimounting that is readily adapted to standard motor trucks and similar vehicles.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferredform of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- 1n:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the chassis of a motor vehicle truck equipped with a power 'take-off embodyingthe features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the power take-off and the adjacent portions of the vehicle frame.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 4! of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a partial cross-section on the line 5 -5 unit 1 including the drive wheels 8. The forward end of the frame is supported by the usual steering wheels 9 and carries the power unit "I,

which, in the illustrated instance, is shown as a conventional type internal combustion engine. 'I'he engine It is connected through a multispeed transmission II with a propellershaft I! to effect actuation of the wheels 8. The structure thus far described is conventional in design for commercial motor vehicle trucks.

It is desirableto provide motor vehicletrucks with a power take-off mechanism whereby the power of the engine may be utilized for actuating various mechanisms transported thereon or operated thereby, for example hoists, rotary drilling rigs, refrigeration machines, concrete mix-5 5 ers, and many other mechanisms too numerous to mention.

In equipping a motor truck with a power takeoff mechanism, it has been the usual practice to provide rigid support of the gear case in an at- 10 tempt to retain the various shaft hearings in alignment, when the power take-offs are thus mounted, the shaft bearings are subjected to excessive wear especially during flexure of the frame. To overcome this diificulty, I haveprol5 vided a floating mounting for the gear caseof the power take-01f wherebyit is self-adjusting relatively to the shaft bearings incidental to flexure of the frame or any relative movement of the shaft bearings with respect thereto, as now to be described. Attached to the under sides of the sills 3 and 4 at aligned points intermediate the propeller shaft [2 and multispeed transmission ll are brackets l3 and I4 carrying a transverse support l5, which, in the illustrated instance, comprises a cylindrical bar having trunnion ends l6 and I! supported within bearings I 8 and IQ of the respective brackets, the base portions 20 of the brackets being of suitable length to support the bar l5 at such a distance below the frame that the power input shaft of the power take-off substantially aligns with the power delivery shaft of the transmission ll.

The power take-off includes a gear case 2| which is of size and shape to accommodate, the. various gears and clutches used to connect a power take-oilshaft 23, the particular form of which has no bearingon the present invention, the point being that the power take-off has shaft 0 connections 24 and 25 suitably journalled in the ends of the gear case and adapted to be respectively connected with the transmission II and the propeller shaft l2 whereby the power of the motor. I ll may be applied through the power take- 5 off to the drive wheels 8. The power take-off shaft 23 may project in appropriate direction from the gear case and connect with the mechanism to be driven thereby through a'shaft'26 having flexible connection with the shaft 23 by means of a universal joint -21.

Formed on the bottom face' of the gear case and preferably aligned with the shaft 23 and the shaft connections 2 and 25 are pads 28 and 29 located transversely of a plane extending J through the center of gravity of the power takeoff mechanism. Secured to these pads is a saddle-like clamp 30 including a sleeve portion 3| having a bore 32 to snugly receive the support bar l5. The intermediate lower portion of the sleeve is cut away as at 33 to provide clamps 34 and 35 which are slit longitudinally as at 36 and have ears 3! and 38 for mounting clamping bolts 39 by which the gear case is clamped to the bar so that it may be adjusted longitudinally thereon to align the axis of the shaft connection 24 with the power output shaft of the transmission and the shaft connection 25 with a pillow block bearing 40 suspended from the adjacent cross member 5 of the vehicle frame. The shaft connections 24 and 25 of the power take-off include collars 4| and 42 having coupling flanges 43 and In order that the power take-off may rock, the flange 43 is connected with a similarflange 45 on the output shaft of the transmission II by a relatively short flexible connection 45. In the illustrated instance the flexible connection includes telescoping shaft sections 41 and 48 having splined interconnection (not shown), and respectively connected through universal joints 49 and 50 with the flanges 45 and 43.

It is thus obvious that any relative movement occurring between the power take-off and the transmission I I incidental to flexure of the vehicle frame or any other cause will be compensatedfor by the flexible connection. Connected with the flange 44 by suitable fastening devices 5| is a stub shaft 52 having stepped shoulders 53, 54 and 55 to form a pillow block bearing engaging portion 56 and a reduced shank 51 for connection through a universal joint 58 with the propeller shaft H, the stub shaft being journalled within the pillow block on an .antifriction bearing 59 including an inner race 60 engaged between the shoulder 53 and the sleeve Glof the universal joint as shown in Fig. 3. The bearing also includes an outer race 62 which is mounted within a resilient pad carried by the pillow block housing ring 63. The housing ring 63 is rigidly supported below the cross sill 5 by a suitable bracket 64. The resilient pad of the pillow block thus cooperates with the flexible connection to allow self-adjustment of the power take-off with the driving and driven sections of the propeller shaft of the truck so as to avoid undesirable loading of any of the bearings incidental to any defiection in the frame. The substantial balance of the power take-ofl upon its supporting bar also relieves the weight thereof from the bearings and the supporting bar takes the torque incidental to the drive through the power take-off whether the drive be effected through the wheels of the vehicle or through the power take oif shaft.

The form of pillow block shown in Fig. 6 includes a self-aligning antifriction bearing 65 which is used to obtain the self-adjustment afforded by the resilient pad shown in Fig.3.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a power take-off mounting whereby the power take-off is self-adjusting to any distortion or deflection occurring in the frame tending to disalign the transmission shaft with the propeller shaft of the vehicle, thereby avoiding excessive wear and undesirable loading on any of the shaft bearings.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a motor vehicle including a frame, a multispeed transmission and a propeller shaft, a power take-off interposed between the transmission andthe propeller shaft, means connecting the power take-off with the transmission and the propeller shaft, and supporting means on the frame extending across the power take-off at a point intermediate the ends thereof to mount the power take-off for rocking movement in the frame to compensate for relative movement between the transmission and propeller shaft.

2. In a. motor vehicle including a frame, a multispeed transmission and a propeller shaft, a power take-off interposed between the transmission and the propeller shaft and having shaft connections at opposite ends thereof, flexible means connecting one of the shaft connections of the power take-off with the transmission, means connecting the other connection of the power take-off with the propeller shaft, a self-adjusting pillow block on the frame for supporting said last named connection, and means mounting the power take-off for rocking movement in the frame to compensate for relative movement between the transmission and propeller shaft.

3. In a motor vehicle including a frame having side sills and a cross sill, a multispeed transmission, a propeller shaft, a pillow block bearing on the cross sill supporting the propeller shaft,

a power take-off including a case having shaft connections ,rotatably supported thereby and provided with couplings, a flexible connection connecting said transmission with one of the couplings, a connecting member journalled in the pillow block bearing and connecting the other coupling with the propeller shaft, a cross bar having journalled support from the side sills, a

saddle connected with the power take-ofi case, and clamping means securing the saddle to said cross bar.

4. In a motor vehicle including a frame having side sills, a cross sill, a, multispeed transmission, a propeller shaft, and a pillow block hearing on the cross sill supporting the propeller shaft, a power take-01f including a; case having shaft connections supported by said case and provided with couplings, a flexible connection connecting said transmission with one of the couplings, means connecting the other coupling with the propeller shaft, said pillow block bear-' ing on the cross sill supporting the last named connection, a cross bar having journalled support from the side sills, and a saddle connected with the power take-off and mounted on the cross .bar to support said. power take-off for rocking movement with respect to the transmistransmission and with said power; transmitting means, means connecting the power transmitting means with the propeller shaft, and means pivotally supporting the power take-off casing in the frame.

6. In a motor .vehicle including a frame having a multispeed transmission on the frame, a propeller shaft, and a self-aligning pillow block bearing on the frame, the combination of a power take-off including a casing, shaft connections rotatably supported by'the casing, a .pair of telescoping shaft sections, universal joints respectively connecting said shaft sections with the transmission and with one end ofssald shaft connections, means journa'lled in said pillow' block bearing and connecting the other shaft connection of the power take-off with the propeller shaft, a supporting bar for the power "the transmission andwith one of said power take-off shaft connections, means journalled in the self-aligning pillowblock bearing for connecting the other of the power take-off shaft connections with the propeller shaft, a supporting bar-for the power take-oil casing, means clampingly securing the casing to said bar, trunnlons on the ends of said bar, bearings for said trunnlons, and means securing thev bearings to the side sills of said frame.

8. In a motorvehicle having a pair of spaced shafts, a power take-oi! interposed between said shafts including a casing, a self-aligning pillow block bearing supporting one of the shafts, means rigidly connecting said pillow block supported shaft with the power take-on, a flexible connection between the other shaft and the power take-off, a trunnion member arranged transversely of'the-casing at substantially the center of gravity of said power take-ofL'means on the vehicle for journalling the trunnion member, and means connecting the trunnion member with said casing.

9. In a motor vehicle having a pair of spaced shafts, a power take-off interposed between said shafts including a casing, aself-aligning pillow block bearing supporting one of the shafts, means rigidly connecting said pillow block supported shaft with the power take-oil, a flexible'connection between the other shaft and the power take-off, a trunnion member arranged transversely of the casing at substantially the center of gravity of said power take-oil, means on the vehicle for journalling the trunnion member, and clamping means connected with the casing and having adjustment on the trunnion member to position said power take-on in alignment with said shafts.

- nmmrr L. ALEXANDER. 

